[EBB Sightings] Lake Merritt to Alameda Creek bike ride

Jim Chiropolos and I had a nice ride Saturday morning (into the afternoon) from Lake Merritt down to Coyote Hills and then up Alameda Creek. We had many of the expected sightings but also a few nice surprises among the 102 species seen:

* Tufted Duck, female Redhead and Coopers Hawk at Lake Merritt. Couldn't locate the Red-necked Grebe.
* Purple Finch singing in the treetops near Children?s Fairyland
* Only a couple Barrow's Goldeneyes in the channel near Laney College, but we picked up a couple more just north of Garretson Point.
* Peregrine Falcon perched near the top of the south wide of the tower on the east end of Fruitvale Bridge. It was facing into the bridge as if attending a nest. 
* Two pairs of Blue-winged Teal at Garretson Pt.
* 3 White-winged Scoters just offshore of the San Leandro Marina
* Common Moorhen in pond set between a housing development just north of San Lorenzo Creek
* Burrowing Owl flushed shortly after finding Horned Larks (and American Pipits) in the customary location at Frank?s Dump. 
* Golden Eagle at Coyote Hills
* Two female Hooded Mergansers in San Leandro Creek just east of 880
* White Throated Swifts above Niles.

We didn't see any Curlews or Wimbrels, probably because of riding during the higher cycle of the tides.

Derek Heins